The insane root to which Banquo refers is a herb causing madness. It probably refers specifically to hemlock or henbane, both deadly. Banquo asks Macbeth if they have mistakenly eaten some poison that "takes reason prisoner" (makes them lose their minds) because the Witches vanish into thin air.

Back to Macbeth (1.3)

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How to cite this article:

Mabillard, Amanda. Macbeth Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays
/macbeth/macbethglossary/macbeth1_1/macbethglos_insaneroot.html >.